The beauty of mission life is being held and moved at the whim of the Holy Spirit. God continues to guide us according to His wisdom and providence, and to prove how much better His plan is for our lives than what we could have foreseen for ourselves.
We came to Louisiana in December for Sarah and Kevin Granger's (missionary friends) wedding, fully expecting to return to General Cepeda within a couple of weeks. Well, to make a long story short... God surprised us!
Andrea had been told by an oral surgeon, who came visited General Cepeda on a mission trip every year, that she ought to see about getting jaw surgery at some point to avoid bigger problems. Well, his diagnosis was confirmed when Andrea was seen here in Louisiana by a succession of dental/oral specialists who likewise urged her strongly to receive the surgery as soon as possible. This was not easy news to swallow, especially because the course of treatment would basically necessitate Andrea's living in Louisiana for around a year and a half or so. This certainly was NOT part of our immediate plan.
We knew that this was a big change. If God intended this to happen for his missionary family, then He would have to make it clear that this was His will- otherwise it would not be something we would pursue. Furthermore, there was the seemingly insurmountable financial hurdle, for we have no health insurance, and we were looking at expenses in the range of $30,000 to $40,000. So, we prayed. This time God really surprised us.
Without ever asking for a cent, within a matter of a couple weeks God handed us the braces and the surgery for free (the benefits when God is your employer are unbelievable!). First we received a phone call from our former mission partner in General Cepeda, who was there hosting a group of American women who came annually to General Cepeda. This group, members of a larger international group for Catholic women, had become our friends in General Cepeda over the years. Apparently, my surgery came up among them as our missionary friends prayed for the Brown family during morning prayer with the group. Now, Sarah called to tell us that they wanted to information about how to help us to cover the expenses of the braces and surgery! We were floored and humbled by their generosity!! Never had we witnessed nor received such a generous offer - without ever having asked!
As we began to communicate with this generous group about the details, Andrea's oral surgeon managed to acquire her a special privilege via a personal recommendation. Andrea was referred to a special program through LSU Medical School's Oral Surgery Residency program. She was accepted as a "teaching case," which means that her surgery will be performed by a professor to instruct the interns in this maxillofacial surgery... and it will be free!
There were many other details in our discernment showing us that God was guiding us to move forward and follow Him. My intent in this posting was to Glorify God by sharing with you the especially miraculous parts of this event that has designated Abbeville, Lousiana as our next mission site.
Our directors at FMC, Genie and Frank Summers, welcomed us to live here on our mission base as missionaries on medical furlough. Here we can stay involved in mission life and the various needs and ministries of Family Missions Company. Just last night we were given the opportunity to speak as a mission family at a youth overnight hunger fast to help raise awareness about world hunger and call our youth to action! It was a very dynamic evening, and we feel God will continue to use us in similar ways. Regarding practicalities, Kevin will be seeking work of some sort to fund our food, gas, minimal rent, and family expenses (gosh - diapers are expensive!) while in Louisiana.
We are incredibly blessed by the vibrant Catholic community that we are involved in here - and have found that God is using this time to sort of "recharge" our spiritual/missionary batteries. Hmm. Maybe God does know best, huh?
We are new to this whole blog thing - but we hope this will be a fruitful way of staying in touch with all our friends and family, our partners in mission, as we continue to serve the Lord as a missionary family. May God bless you all abundantly!!
